Teatcups used today typically consist of two separate main parts, a shell and a teatcup liner mounted in the shell. The teatcup liner is an article of consumption that is subjected to wear, and thus has to be replaced on a regular basis. The replacement of the teatcup liner is a time-consuming and difficult work, requiring dismounting of the teatcup liner from the shell and mounting of a new teatcup liner in the shell.
Traditionally, the teatcup liner forms one single part together with the short milk conduit. In order to enable replacement of only the barrel of the teatcup liner, it is know to produce teatcup liners being separate from the milk conduit. Examples of such separate milk conduits are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,890 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,892.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,890 discloses a milk conduit configured to be connected to a teatcup liner of a teatcup to be attached to a teat of an animal to be milked. The milk conduit comprises a first end portion defining a first end and configured to be connected to the teatcup, a second end portion defining a second end, and a conduit portion between the first end portion and the second end portion. The milk conduit defines a milk channel extending through the first end portion, the conduit portion and the second end portion. The first end portion is configured to be received on a nipple extending downwardly from the teatcup.
Such a connection of the milk conduit to the teatcup is disadvantageous since it makes the dismounting and the mounting of the teatcup to the milk conduit difficult and time-consuming. Also the sealing between the milk conduit, the pulsation chamber and the surrounding environment may cause problems.